Gaia: Rabelo Sails, Black Roofs and Wellesley's Hill

For centuries the Douro brought Port down to these lodges by boat. The heaviest late 18th-century rabelos carried 70 to 100 casks until a 1779 law capped them at 70; the last commercial run is said to have been in 1964. The port houses still keep rabelos on the river and race them under sails bearing their names. In May 1809 Wellesley, headquartered in the Serra do Pilar monastery, sent his soldiers across in four captured wine barges. You can read the sails, match casks to glasses in Taylor's cellars, ride over the lodge roofs and find, from the bridge, the seminary his soldiers took.

What to do there

4 things to do

1. 1 Read House Names on Rabelo Sails History · Free

   Free, on the quay: count the houses, then count the boats.

   Where: the quay along Avenida Diogo Leite, outside Cálem at number 344.

   What: the port houses keep rabelos on the river here; in their regatta each sail bears a different house's name. Count how many house names you can find on the moored boats. These boats brought Port down the Douro; the biggest carried 70 to 100 casks until a 1779 law set the limit at 70, and by 1961 only 6 still worked.

   How: free. The regatta is on 24 June, St John's Day.

   Backup: if no boat is moored, read the house names on the lodge-roof signs above the quay.

   Log Memory
2. 2 Match Each Glass to Its Wood at Taylor's Wine · Price: moderate

   The house says it ages Port in two kinds of wood; match each to your glass.

   Where: Taylor's Port cellars, Rua do Choupelo 250.

   What: the house says it ages Tawny mainly in casks of around 630 litres and fruitier styles such as LBV in vats of at least 20,000 litres: find both in the cellars, then at the tasting put the 10 Year Old Tawny with the cask and the LBV with the vat.

   How: walk in, no pre-booking; the house lists 25€ for adults with three ports and a 13-language audio guide on your phone. Allow about 1 h 30.

   Backup: Sandeman's 50-minute Porto Sandeman Visit, 23€, booked online.

   Log Memory
3. 3 Count the Black Roofs from the Cable Car Adventure · Price: low

   The angels' share seen from the air, as Taylor's says.

   Where: the Teleférico de Gaia lower station, Avenida Ramos Pinto 331, downhill from Taylor's.

   What: Taylor's says the spirit evaporating from ageing wine feeds a black fungus, Baudoinia compniacensis, on the lodges' roof tiles, so from the air you can see where the cellars are. Ride up to Jardim do Morro and count the dark roofs below.

   How: one way 7€ adult, 3.50€ child aged 5-12; return 10€.

   Backup: if the cable car is closed, Metro Line D stops at Jardim do Morro.

   Log Memory
4. 4 Find the Seminary Wellesley's Men Took History · Free

   Free, from the bridge's upper deck.

   Where: walk from Jardim do Morro onto the upper deck of the Dom Luís I bridge, open to pedestrians beside Metro Line D, and stop midway.

   What: to your right on the Gaia hill, the round church of the Serra do Pilar monastery was Wellesley's headquarters from 11 May 1809. Next morning Colonel John Waters found four wine barges moored on the north bank, and 24 men of the 3rd Foot crossed in one to take the bishop's seminary. Face upstream (east): it still stands about 1.1 km away, at Largo do Padre Baltazar Guedes.

   How: free.

   Backup: none needed.

   Log Memory

Insider tips

• Taylor's sells its audio-guide ticket at the door with no pre-booking; the house allows about an hour for the cellars and 30 minutes for the tasting.

• Sandeman closes for lunch: visits run 10:00-12:30 and 14:00-18:00, last entries 12:15 and 17:15.

• Graham's says its Ne Oublie, an 1882 tawny, was released as 656 bottles from one of three remaining casks.